Volodymyr Soniuk

Contrary to various forecasts, the 8th session of the Verkhovna Rada opened last Tuesday in a solemn and exalted atmosphere. The traditional procedures — calling the session to order, the singing of the national anthem by the Veriovka Choir, the Speaker’s program speech — took place in a dignified...

Our talk with Ukraine’s first president Leonid Kravchuk the evening before the series of resignations once again confirmed that Mr. Kravchuk is by far the only politician in this country (his successor does not count because he is out of politics) whose considerable presidential experience allows...

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is going to do its own examination of those Major Melnychenko’s tapes that concern the murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze. SBU chief Oleksandr Turchynov revealed this important piece of news to journalists last Wednesday. He said the tapes are already...

Last week Lesia Gongadze, the mother of slain journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, submitted her fifth blood sample for genetic analysis as part of the investigation into her son’s killing. In the meantime, the lack of results in the search for those who ordered the killing of Gongadze is one of the most...

A few days ago the Verkhovna Rada condemned the militia’s use of force against 3 parliamentarians in Uzhhorod on May 21, which took place when ex- governor Ivan Rizak was being transferred from a hospital to a detention cell. During the operation, a group of SDP (U) MPs — Nestor Shufrych, Tamara...

The closer the 2006 parliamentary elections, the more actively the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU), a governmental coalition member, is straying from the “party line.” This kind of behavior seems rather strange, as representatives of this very party hold such key offices as ministers of the...

In his responses to questions from the public during the recent live television broadcast, President Yushchenko’s answers showed a noticeable lack of concreteness, but he should be commended for his calm and benevolent attitude toward critical, if not aggressive, callers. Most questions touched on...

Last Friday Myroslava, widow of assassinated journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, appeared before her fellow journalists in the new role of published author. In collaboration with her Radio Liberty Washington-bureau colleague Serhiy Kudelia, Ms. Gongadze has written a book called A Raw Nerve: The...

Last Friday the Verkhovna Rada passed a virtually new 2005 budget in the first reading by a majority of 376 votes. This impressive result proves that there is no influential parliamentary opposition. If it existed, this would have been proved by the results of the voting on three key points: the...

“Our goal is to promote the consolidation of freedom of speech in Ukraine and ensure democratic parliamentary elections in 2006.” This is the gist of a recent speech by PACE co-rapporteurs Hanne Severinsen and Renate Wohlwend (photo) in Kyiv. This was a total dОjИ vu: the same rapporteurs of the...